On the first day of practice, make it clear to your team that
basketball practice is not the time to chat with each other. It’s time
to learn about basketball. Communicate clearly that you expect them to
focus on you even if you’re teaching another player.

Make it clear to your players that when you blow the whistle you expect
them to run to you. Not walk, run. Let them know the consequences of
not responding quickly to the whistle.

Once you’ve communicated your expectations to your team, test them.
Give them a chance to chat with each other while you take one player,
or your assistant coach, to the other side of the court. Blow the
whistle and see how they respond.

Develop in your players instant and rapid response
to the whistle and you’ll be well on your way to developing the focus
needed to avoid mental errors.

Set
the Right Type of Goals

Too often teams focus on scoring goals and win-loss records. If you
want to develop a highly focused team, have them focus on the right
type of goals.

The team that has a goal of a low number of turnovers focuses intensely
on protecting the ball. If your goal is a certain number of rebounds,
your players will focus on position and blocking out. Both of these
goals are goals that will directly impact whether your team is in a
position to win the game, but they also force your players to focus.
Scoring goals, on the other hand, generally develop a lack of focus and
a sense of desperation.

Teach
Visualization

Anybody who has followed sports knows the power of
visualization. Prisoners of War, upon returning home, have improved
their golf game simply by visualizing 18 perfect holes on their
favorite course while they were locked up in a hole.

What people often don’t realize is that it’s never too late to teach
players visualization techniques. If a low number of turnovers is one
of their goals, teach them to picture themselves dribbling with their
body between the defender and the ball. Seeing proper play in their
mind’s eye will go a long way to producing results on the court.

Above all, model focused attention to your players. Don’t be gazing out
the window while your team is running basketball drills.
Pay attention to them and throw out pointers when appropriate. When one
of your players is talking to you, give them your undivided attention.
Show your players how to focus and equip them to do the same and you’ll
have an intense bunch of basketball players under your command.